Father, son to spend Father's Day on the farm

By Shanna Sissom Managing Editor

Published 2:37 pm, Saturday, June 16, 2012

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Shanna Sissom/Plainview HeraldFather and son farming team Scott Buchanan (left) and his dad Mike take a break in their fields east of Plainview on Friday. The two plan on spending the better part of Father’s Day doing what they love, aboard a John Deere tractor. less

Shanna Sissom/Plainview HeraldFather and son farming team Scott Buchanan (left) and his dad Mike take a break in their fields east of Plainview on Friday. The two plan on spending the better part of Father’s ... more

Father, son to spend Father's Day on the farm

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This Father’s Day will be much like any other day for father and son farmers Mike and Scott Buchanan.

“What you see now, is what we’ll be doing,” Scott said after dismounting from his tractor Friday at their millet field east of Plainview.

Mike said the family will take time to celebrate the special day, though.

“Lunch and then get back on the tractors,” he said.

At age 43, Scott is a fourth generation farmer. His 22-year-old son Blake also is interested in getting into farming. Mike, 64, pointed out his 84-year old father, Bruce, is no stranger to a plow, and his other son, Bryan, farms out of Turkey.

So as the family tradition continues today, they’ll no doubt reflect on father and son times spent in the fields.

“It’s a great way of life,” Scott explained. He’s been on a tractor since he was in fourth grade, a lifestyle he’s loved all along.

It’s hard work, both men are quick to say, though it’s rewarding.

“We love farming and you don’t have to punch a clock,” Mike explained of their livelihood.

While the father and son harvest together and share equipment, they also maintain separate land.

Aspiring to be the fifth generation farmer, Scott said Blake is looking to get started, something not easy for young people to do, as his grandfather explained.

“Our young guys, new farmers can’t make it,” Mike explained, to which Scott added, “Unless you’ve got pockets full of money, you’re not going to get started without help.”

Farming, as they explained, is more expensive than ever for young people seeking the occupation.

While reflecting on family, Scott has memories of another grandfather, now deceased, who was known to check up on the day’s progress every day at 1:30 p.m.

“You’d better have something done by then,” Scott recalled with a slight chuckle and perhaps a hint of fear in his eyes. “I can still see him driving up in that truck.”

That 1:30 p.m. feeling still comes over him to this day.

Together, the men farm cotton and seed milo in addition to millett. Scott also grows sunflowers. But for the first time this year, they didn’t plant corn on account of last year’s drought conditions.

As for Thursday’s night rain, the men on Friday were assessing crop damage the accompanying high winds delivered. It comes with the territory, as they well know, but those crops were weighing heavily on their minds.

“We’ve got millet we don’t know if we can save,” Scott explained. But the men remained optimistic the buds would recover, and hoped it to be nothing more than a setback.

While some might consider working on Father’s Day an unpleasant duty, not so to the Buchanans.